1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to air conditioning devices and more particularly to an air conditioning structure in combination with an air handling mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The air conditioning structure which forms part of the combination of the present invention is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,493, issued on Apr. 9, 1974 to the same inventor. That particular air conditioning structure is in the form of an especially designed multifunction evaporative cooler having, among other things, a sump portion which is divided into a liquid reservoir section and a duct section. The duct section is in turn divided into a central outlet opening and a pair of laterally oppositely positioned auxiliary inlet openings.
The outlet opening delivers air supplied by the centrifugal blower of the air conditioning structure to a point of use such as the interior of a building, and the auxiliary inlet openings usually direct air returning from the point of use to the inlets of the centrifugal blower. Such recirculation of air is an optional feature of the air conditioning structure and therefore, a damper assembly is located within each of the auxiliary inlet openings for selective opening and closing thereof. The auxiliary inlet openings may also be provided with air treatment mechanisms such as heat exchanger devices for heating or cooling of the returning air.
Due to the physical size limitations of the auxiliary inlet openings, and due to the placement of the damper assemblies and the air treatment mechanisms therein, the air treatment mechanisms are limited as to the size that can be employed therein. Further, location of the damper assemblies and air treatment devices within the auxiliary air inlets of the air conditioning structure causes problems with durability and serviceability of those devices.
It is well known that an evaporative cooler by design is subject to severe corrosion problems and the mechanisms and other hardware thereof are especially designed and fabricated to withstand the highly corrosive atmosphere. However, air treatment mechanisms such as heat exchanger coils, are not devices which are usually employed in conjunction with an evaporative cooler and cannot tolerate such a hostile environment.
With regard to serviceability, replacement and/or servicing of the damper assemblies and the air treatment devices is extremely difficult when those mechanisms are located within the auxiliary air inlet openings of the air conditioning structure due to the location of those openings and the manner in which the damper assemblies and air treatment devices are densely mounted therein.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved air handling mechanisms in combination with an air conditioning structure which overcomes some of the problems of the prior art.